


Guiding Light

by orphan_account



Series: Archbishop [5]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, Family Dynamics, Fluff and Angst, Interlude, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Spoilers, spoilers for all routes but especially Silver Snow and Verdant Wind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:07:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22151524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "As I soared through the sky... I spoke with my mother."Rhea is critically injured when she plunges into the sky to destroy the Pillars of Light. In her unconscious state, she is visited by someone whose voice she had not heard in a long time.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Rhea, Rhea & Sothis (Fire Emblem)
Series: Archbishop [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1540240
Comments: 6
Kudos: 62





	Guiding Light

**Author's Note:**

> written in Rhea's point of view. happens directly after the cutscene at the end of the Shambhala chapter, where Rhea changes forms. I wrote it thinking it's within the same continuity as my other Rhealeth works in this series.

“You… Are completely, utterly, _reckless!!”_

Consciousness began to return to her. Slowly, bit by bit.

“How could you _do_ something like that? You were already injured, you big fool! If it were not for your great power, you have been slain just then. And before you got to reveal the truth, too. What would that have achieved, huh?”

Somewhere, through the suffocating darkness and the searing pain, there was a tiny speck of white light. Her consciousness seemed to float through the void, towards it, following the faint sound of that familiar voice.

_“Mother...?”_

“‘Mother this, Mother that’. Honestly, what’s with you?!”

She was there. Sothis, just as she remembered her. Tall and elegant, donning a long white gown, and flowers in her dark green hair.

Rhea stared at her, frozen.

"Have you forgotten who you are? Everything that you did in the past for me, and for your siblings? Ugh, it's like all these years have turned you into a baby of a woman."

"Mother..."

That single tear finally trickled down Rhea's face, and Sothis gave an exasperated sigh, much like the ones she'd given to Byleth many times. She took a step, and cradled Rhea's face in her hands. The touch was soft, warm. Nostalgic, and utterly magical.

"Are you my daughter, or not? The fierce Seiros, who was and still remains unmatched on the battlefield, and the sweet, kind Rhea, that I always loved so much?"

Sothis tilted Rhea’s head upward, and looked deep into her eyes. The bite dissipated from her voice, and it became soft and soothing.

“You need to stop sacrificing yourself. You’ve done so more than enough. You will not survive another act of martyrdom like this one.”

Rhea spoke without thinking, before emotions could overwhelm her reason.

“I needed to protect them. To protect her…”

“She is _fine_. And she will be. You know that, too. My power resides within her, after all. But she will not be able to do much good, now, if you are not there to stand with her.”

Sothis drew her closer. In that swift moment, the terrifying darkness of the void seemed to dissolve into an embrace of warm, white light. Her entire body - or whatever ethereal form of it was there - relaxed. She let herself melt into those arms. Those that she had longed to feel again for so, so long.

“I’m afraid, Mother.”

“Shh. I know. And you’ve done more than enough, but you must allow me to ask you to fight for me, just a little bit longer. Peace is so close, now. If she can have you at her side, supporting her, then her power can overcome anything. I’m certain of it.”

“I would fight for you for another thousand years, if you needed me to. In a thousand more wars. I would-”

“Hush! Enough already, Rhea. Please.”

Hands smoothed through Rhea’s hair. She curled closer into Sothis’ embrace. She couldn’t be certain, but she was fairly sure that she was still crying.

“You are my beloved daughter. A peerless soldier, and a woman with the biggest heart I have ever known. My greatest gift. This world of man does not deserve you, but it still needs you. So I will be selfish, and continue to leave it in your care, just a little bit longer.”

Rhea nodded slowly. “I understand, Mother.”

A kiss was pressed to her forehead, and its effect lit up the dormant blood in her veins. She whispered, “ I love you, Mother.”

“And I love you, my Rhea. Now, go. They’re all waiting for you.”

Sothis disappeared into the darkness again, and the Sword of Seiros manifested in her place. Filled once against with determination, Rhea reached for it. She would come back to that world once again, even if it was the last time. She had one final duty to fulfill.  
  


* * *

  
When Rhea woke up, she appeared to be back in her quarters at Garreg Mach. Her body felt stiff and heavy, still burdened from its injuries; and yet, her soul felt light. She was still not quite able to open her eyes, but she felt a soft hand squeezing her own. She attempted to squeeze it back, just slightly.

“Rhea?” a voice whispered. Byleth’s voice.  
  
She squeezed that hand again. She was still too weary to open her eyes, or to speak, so she simply hummed, signalling that she needed more time. When she awoke, she would finally speak to Byleth, and reveal all of the truths that she’d kept hidden for all these years. Byleth might hate her for it, she knew. She might run away in horror. But it had to be done. It was the very least she could do to atone for all of her sins. Taking a deep breath, she let sleep take over her once again.

_“Have no fear, my beloved daughter. The three of us are in this together.”_

**Author's Note:**

> i've been extremely thirsty for interactions between Rhea and Sothis ever since i first played this damn game, so now here we are. this will definitely be the first of a few works that i write in this flair. once again, thank you for reading, ily all.


End file.
